THERE ARE ONLINE ADDICTS IN EVERY HOME TODAY, WARN EXPERTS
PARENTS URGED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN, MAKE THEM AWARE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE OF TECHNOLOGY
Video games and electronic addiction have emerged as a serious problem of contemporary societies, including the UAE, and every home today has a number of “electronic addicts,” warned top UAE officials and experts last night, calling for urgent and effective measures to deal with the issue.
Addressing the Community session of the Sharjah Ramadan Majlis at Al Majaz Amphitheatre last night (Wednesday) titled ‘Electronic Addiction and Societal Impact’ and hosted by the Sharjah Press Club of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, the speakers voiced grave concern over the growing menace of electronic addiction and widespread use of video games and social media, especially in young people and children. The second session of Sharjah Ramadan Majlis was attended by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council and other dignitaries and senior officials.
Opening the discussion, popular television presenter and moderator Maryam Allay said that electronic addiction is not just a problem faced by youth and children. Video games are extremely popular even among adults and many people today spend much of their time hooked to their devices. She pointed out that people in the UAE spend as much as 8 hours a day lost in the World Wide Web and 3 hours on social media.
HE Saeed Al Rumaithi, Member of the Federal National Council , said that electronic addiction is a very serious issue today and the Ramadan Majlis couldn’t have chosen a more pressing issue for the discussion. As a father of five young children, I am very concerned about the issue of electronic addiction among children and young people, he added.
“Today’s smartphones and tablets are so advanced and versatile that it is like having the power of 10 devices in one,” saeed Al Rumaithi calling for children to be educated about both the positive and negative sides of technology. Comparing the use of technology to swimming, he said that it is important for us to teach our children how to swim in the sea of technology, rather than forbidding them to go near the sea. He recalled a campaign by a group of families some time ago against devices like tablets and smartphones, wondering if such steps really worked.
The FNC Member called for the need to strike a balance between the use and abuse of technology and gadgets saying since technology has come to stay here and our children will need it to shape their future, it is just as well that they are taught how to make the best use of it avoiding its harmful effects.
Responsibility of Parents
Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director of Child Safety Department , Sharjah, seconded him emphasising that we need to rationalise the use of technology and social media among children.
“As parents we must take the initiative and responsibility to protect our children from the harmful effects of technology and Internet. How children use technology and devices like smartphones and tablets is a question that should be determined by us. It is our responsibility. As parents we must be alert and protect our children against any potential harm through these devices,” she said expressing concern over the fact that today there are electronic addicts in every home. Much of the content online, including video games, is not suitable for young children of tender, impressionable minds and could cause irreparable emotional and psychological harm, she pointed out.
She recounted her own experience of dealing with her 5-year old son who was hopelessly hooked to a video game.
Maj Gen Abdul Rahman Al Tamimi, Director of the Ministry of Interior’s Centre for Child Protection, blamed the problem on excessive free time available at the disposal of children and youth, calling for keeping them engaged in positive and fruitful activities. Al Tamimi said that many of those addicted to Internet and video games remain aloof, lack social skills and develop a totally different persona online.
Inculcate Positive Values in Children
The official urged parents to spend more time with their children and interact with them, encouraging them to spend more time in social situations and mingle with friends and extended family, rather than online, in order to help them develop their full potential.
Abdul Aziz Al Zarouni, Information Security Engineer at Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) while sharing the concerns of other speakers argued that today we all have to deal with technology on a daily basis and we must learn how best to deal with it. He criticised parents for not regulating their children and allowing them to leave home with devices like iPads. “Of course, all of us want our children to behave. We want to keep them engaged. But there are other ways of keeping them positively engaged, especially during the critical formative years of their lives,” pointed out Al Zarouni.
Expressing concern over the growing exposure of children to video games, social media and Internet at a tender and impressionable age, he called on parents to inculcate positive values in children and prepare them for the world before they leave home.
The speakers urged parents to spend more time with their children and also learn how to monitor their activities online. Al Rumaithi suggested that there are a number of apps that help keep a tab on children and monitor their activities online.
The second session of Ramadan Majlis attracted top Sharjah officials, dignitaries and members of the media and public. Also present on the occasion were HE Mohammed Jalal Al Raisi, Executive Director of the Emirates News Agency (Wam) , HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, HE Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Sharjah Media Council and others